History Matters: 1912 article charted the age of U.S. presidents

Louise Vest

100 Years Ago

Presidential fireworks

In the Times, there was a short piece about life span of some of our presidents:

"Age of Presidents

"The youngest chief executive at the time of his death was James K. Polk who was fifty-three. Fourteen Presidents completed the Biblical age of threescore and ten; four of them reached eight and John Adams was ninety when he died. Among the Vice Presidents only three failed to the attain the age of sixty; 16 reached seventy; five were more than eighty years old at the time of their deaths. and Levi P. Morton, who was Benjamin Harrison's running mate, lived to be ninety-six."

One of the most ironic stories about the presidents' demise is that of Adams and Jefferson. They died on the same day, July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson died a few hours before Adams. With Adams' death, Marylander Charles Carroll of Carrollton, owner of Howard County's Doughoregan estate, was the last remaining signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson had been Adams vice president, even though they were from different political parties. Back then, the candidate receiving the most votes from the Electoral College became president and the second highest vote getter became VP. A hum dinger of a plan. If they had kept that plan there'd be no need for those Fourth of July D.C. fireworks, because fireworks from the seat of government would be a constant.

But as with other issues in young America, over time, and with trial and error, improvements were made. In this case, the 12th Amendment helped to straighten some of these voting issues, allowing the Electoral College vote separately for president and for vice president.

"Setting For Night Football at Howard: Seats and lights for 1962" this is the objective of the Howard County High School boosters, in cooperation with the Allview Lions club. Jack Degrange, boosters' President, had his committee, headed by Ralph Tigner, visit the School Board where approval was obtained to proceed with the project of setting up a new athletic field at Howard on their present site.

"The Booster-Lions Committee of Ralph Tigner, Paul Dupre, and Robert Story announce their aim to provide proper seating and install lights so that night football can be enjoyed during the 1962 fall season."

Notices from Elkridge:

"Mrs. and Mrs. M. M. Ashbrook of Trenton, New Jersey were the weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Ashbrook of Washington road.

Mrs. Wilson Schwenk of Washington Road is a patient at Bon Secours Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kirk, Jr. and children, John and Bill of Glen Burnie were guests on Monday of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kirk at their home in Harwood.

Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McCall of Harwood, who had been a patient at the University Hospital, is now convalescing at home."